Chelsea boss Antonio Conte insists that he never lost faith in his star striker Diego Costa.

The Spain international hadn't scored in seven games in all competitions for the Blues before netting a brace and providing an assists for Eden Hazard's opener in the 4-2 win over Southampton on Tuesday.

Conte says that Costa's double will help the striker in the remaining games this season as Chelsea strive to cinch he league title as soon as possible.

He said: "For strikers, it's very important to score because the goal is your life. I always said I was very pleased with his commitment and work for the team.

"Sometimes he was lacking in different circumstances but I was always confident about him. If you remember, in the Tottenham press conference I said he was saving his goals for the final part of the season.

"It's important for his confidence and for us. He scored two beautiful goals where he showed good quality and good combinations between him and his team-mates.

The crowd were great with Diego and all my players. In this part of the season everyone must understand the real importance to reach our targets. Everyone feels a bit of pressure, the players, the club and the fans who want to win after this incredible season.

"It's important to stay together and understand this moment, to be ready to push our team in the right way. For this reason, I want to say thanks to our fans because they showed great passion."